About WTWP
We proudly serve more than 48,000 residents and a daytime population of 70,000 – and are the only township in Ohio to include portions of three counties – Delaware, Franklin and Union.
Overview
Founded in 1809, Washington Township contains 27.5 square miles in northwest Franklin County, southwestern Delaware County and eastern Union County. The entire City of Dublin is located within the Township. The Township is part of the greater Columbus metropolitan area.
The Township is comprised of over 48,000 residents and is home to the PGA Memorial Tournament. Several large businesses also are within the Township including Cardinal Health, Ashland Chemical, OCLC, and Wendy's International.
Washington Township is governed by an elected board of trustees and an elected fiscal officer. Day-to-day operations are managed by a trustee-appointed professional administrator and professional fire chief.
Washington Township Fire Department
- Receives over 6,000 calls annually - 75% are EMS calls.
- Conducts nearly 2,000 fire code compliance inspections annually.
- Maintains four fire stations located at 6255 Shier Rings Rd, 4497 Hard Rd, 5825 Brand Rd, and 5750 Blazer Pkwy.
- 5825 Brand Road and 5750 Blazer Parkway, and an administration and fire training facility at 6200 Eiterman Road.
- Employs 112 full-time and 5-15 part-time professional firefighters.
- One of only three fire departments in Ohio that is both accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and has an ISO-1 rating.
Fast Facts
- 97 percent of our full time firefighters are certified paramedics.
- One of only 10 accredited fire departments in Ohio and one of only 373 in the world (as of February 2020).
- Average response time is 5.5 minutes or less - significantly lower than the national average.
- We protect $5.6 billion in real estate assets in Dublin and unincorporated areas.
Washington Township
Our History
1809
Dublin was originally part of 2,000 acres of land given to Lieutenant James Holt by the U.S. Government as payment for his service in the Revolutionary War. Sells Mills was the original name given to the area that is today known as Dublin, Ohio. Washington Township was organized in 1809 which included the boundaries of Sells Mills.
1815
The Irish surveyor, John Shields, renamed Sells Mills in 1815. John Sells gave the honor to Shields to name the town and he named it Dublin, because it reminded him of his birthplace in Ireland.
1937
On April 20, 1937, community members drafted the articles and membership for the Dublin Volunteer Fire Department. At this meeting, it was agreed that Washington and Perry Townships would share the cost evenly to establish the department.
1940
In 1940, as the initial three year agreement was renewed, and a second truck was ordered. Due to state law changes in 1942, the Dublin Volunteer Fire Department was changed to the Washington-Perry Fire Department with assets being officially transferred to both townships in a 50/50 split.
1952
In July of 1952, the first medical squad was established for the township, by the end of the year 91 fire runs and 23 emergency squad runs were reported. Run figures from a February 1961 meeting showed 667 medical calls in nine years since the squad’s inception.
1960's
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Washington and Perry Townships and the Village of Dublin saw a massive increase in infrastructure that led to exponential growth during the subsequent decade. The 1970 Census showed a population of only 681, which would expand to over 11,000 in less than 15 years.
1970's
Congruent to Dublin’s expansion, the Fire Department began to modernize and see a need for increased skills and resources. The nature of the department changed from a rural volunteer department to a suburban paid department. This change brought with it a litany of hurdles and opportunities. Financially, the two townships were growing at different rates and had different beliefs on the department’s future. Operationally, as demands increased, the inability of volunteers to handle the volume led to paid members and eventually fulltime crews, which led to further divisions amongst the members.
1982
By 1982, the debate over proper staffing between townships, the role and authority of the prevention bureau, station locations, funding and the need for an aerial ladder, finally led to the dismantling of the Washington-Perry Fire Department. Washington Township would take its members and the former Station 91 at 37 West Bridge Street and Perry Township would take the former Station 92 on Sawmill Road. Equipment and manpower were divided equitably and on December 31, 1982 Washington and Perry Townships dissolved their joint fire department, becoming separate and responsible for their respective areas.
1990's
Shortly before the 1983 split, Washington Township built a modern firehouse located at 6255 Shier-Rings Road and it was dedicated on July 31, 1983. At the time, this was thought to be a bold decision because this station was miles away from the current population center. Nearly 40 years in the future one can see the wisdom in this decision as it is most centrally located and has access to US-33/OH-161 and I-270, providing our specialty resources (Aerial Ladder, Heavy Rescue, boats, and Dive Team) fastest access to a majority of our jurisdiction. On May 25, 1991, Station 93 was built at 5825 Brand Road with the intent to provide increased protection to the northern areas of Dublin. In 1998, Station 95 was established inside a City of Columbus water tower at 5750 Blazer Parkway. This station provided decreased response times to the southern part of our district, while proving an innovative design of placing a fully functional firehouse within the confines of a pre-existing water tower.
1997
After Washington and Perry Townships decided to become independent fire departments sharing responsibility for the City of Dublin, residents of the same city had up to four different agencies providing varying levels of Fire and EMS services. During this period, Washington Township and its Trustees chose to increase the depth and breadth of their service offerings. When it became time for the City of Dublin to homogenize Fire & EMS services throughout the City, Washington Township was best prepared to provide the services they sought. In 1997, Washington Township became the sole provider of emergency services for the City of Dublin.
2010 - 2020
Over the last few years, we have seen a time of relative calm in our department. Finances remain stable as a result of the high community support for our levies, and the City of Dublin has developed infrastructure that recognizes fire prevention and mitigation. As our population continues to grow (with a 20% increase from 2010-2020), the COVID-19 Pandemic, the addition of multi-story mixed use buildings in Bridge Park, and new styles of manufacturing in nearly all products made today, our new members will have the opportunity to begin their careers in an environment consistent with that of the future.
Full History
To get more in-depth information regarding the history of Washington Township, please visit: